Device for rolling a connector sheet around the butting points of cigarettes and filters



Sept. 26, 1961 B. SCHUBERT 3,001,528

DEVICE FOR ROLLING A CONNECTOR SHEET AROUND THE BUTTING POINTS OFCIGARETTES AND FILTERS Filed May 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ttorneys.

B. SCHUBERT Sept. 26, 1961 3,001,528 THE DEVICE FOR ROLLING A CONNECTORSHEET AROUND BUTTING POINTS OF CIGARETTES AND FILTERS Filed May 225,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z lzueniar;

By 445w 7/6 Attorneys United States The present invention relates to adevice for attaching connector sheets around the butting ends of alignedrodlike articles or of such articles and rod-like attachments, and moreparticularly for producing filter mouthpiece cigarettes, cigarillos orthe like by the assembly in axial alignment of a cigarette or twocigarettes or the like and a filter mouthpiece and by wrapping with arolling action an adhesive connector sheet around the filter mouthpieceand around the adjacent end or ends of the cigarette or cigarettes.

In producing filter mouthpiece cigarettes it is known to roll aconnector sheet in the manner of a sleeve around a mouthpiece of twicethe final length and around the ends of cigarettes pressing against bothends of the mouthpiece. If the two groups united in this way are severedin the centre of the mouthpiece two filter mouthpiece cigarettes areobtained.

This rolling-on of the connector sheets around the groups offers theadvantage in relation to other methods for producing filter cigarettes,that attachment of the connector sheet to the cigarettes is obtainedreliably and satisfactorily at all points without air pockets beingformed.

In order to execute such a rolling operation devices are known in whichthe groups are deposited on one end of a connector sheet which issupplied by a movable carrier and is guided together with the connectorsheet over a stationary counter surface. The connector sheet is thenwound or rolled upon the group by rolling against the counter surface.Such devices have the property that the groups are guided only by twosmooth surfaces and therefore there is no reliable positive and uniformguidance means to retain precise spacing of the groups. Exactmaintenance of the spacing or pitch is however highly desirable in orderthat the filter cigarettes can be fed forward after rolling at adefinite uniform pitch or spacing.

It is also known to limit the rolling movement of the groups by stopswhich extend over the whole Width of one of the grooved drumsfeeding thegroups. As a result of these stops the connector sheets cannot be rolleddown completely as they must press against the stops. The advantage ofrolling the connector sheets around the groups such as has been referredto above is 'no longer present with this construction for precisely atthe critical points at the beginning and at the end of the rolling ofthe connector sheet around the groups, these parts are not rolled butmerely pressed down. For this reason such stops donot prevent theformation of air pockets particularlyadjacent the overlap points of theconnector sheet, which air pockets become objectionably noticeable whensmoking the cigarettes.

The invention has for its object to provide a method of producing filtermouthpiece cigarettes or the like by means of connector sheets and witha satisfactory rolling operation with positive guiding of the groups andmaintaining of their spacing of pitch and employs a device in which thegroups are deposited on connector sheets located on a rotating drum orother conveyor and are then atent O Patented Sept. 26, 1961 moved past acounter surface and wherein stops or like projections form limitingelements on some part of the periphery of the drum or other conveyor orfor limiting the rolling movement of the groups whereas the other partof the drum is of smooth form.

The limiting elements serving for maintaining the pitch are thus omittedover those parts of the drum which receive the connector sheets and thespacing between the limiting elements is such that the rolling pathbetween them corresponds at least to the length of the connector sheets.

The limiting elements are conveniently formed as fins which embody aprofile corresponding to the circumference of the cigarette in theregion of their surface parts which engage the cigarettes. Adjacentthese fins or webs obliquely disposed suction ducts may be provideddirected approximately to the centre point of the cigarettes whichretain the cigarettes in either end position.

Suction ducts are also provided for retaining the connector sheets inthe parts of the drum receiving such sheets. The suction in the regionof the connector sheets is controlled during the rolling operation insuch manner that the connector sheet is held under tension while rollingover the surface of the drum.

The advantage of the invention consists in the fact that the conveyor,e.g. the drum on which the assembled groups of articles are rolled canbe used simultaneously as a cutting drum without it being necessary toprovide movable cutter supports such as are required in a number ofdevices of this kind.

Therefore according to one feature of the invention the part of the drumperiphery not provided with limiting elements, i.e. in the regionsupporting the connector sheets, is used as the cutting support and itconsists for this reason of a hard metal ring or is provided at least inthe region of the cutting point with counter cutter elements of hardmetal. The cutting point is provided at the line adjoining the end ofthe rolling movement on the periphery of the drum. The incomingconnector sheet is arranged to slip on the drum in known manner to anextent such that on completion of the slip and at the commencement ofthe following cut the forward edge of the connector sheet lies at thebeginning of the rolling movement. Separate control devices are providedfor the suction for retaining the cigarettes and the suction forretaining the connector sheets.

One constructional example of the invention is shown diagrammatically onthe accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of part of a filter cigarette machine with theconnector drum.

FIG. 2 is a general perspective view of the connector drum and FIG. 3shows the connector drum in section.

The assembled group G consisting of two cigarettes and an interposedfilter positioned on the assembling drum 1 is delivered in known mannerto connector sheets B on a conveyor means shown in the drawings as anassembly or connector drum 2. During the travel on the connector drum 2the group is wrapped by means of the connector sheets B and thendelivered to the following groove drum 3 on which the group is severedto form two filter cigarettes. The connector drum 2 is also formed atthe same time as a cutter drum and serves for severing the connectorsheets B by means of a cutter drum 4-, the incoming strip V of connectorsheet material slipping on the drum 4 to give the required spacing.

The connector drum 2 consists of a drum body 5 (FIG. 3) of which thesmooth peripheral surface 6 arranged only in the region receiving theconnector sheets B, serves as a cutter support. In order to obtain anouter surface portion which is not liable to wear a hard metal ring 7 isshrunk into position to form the outer surface. On both sides of thishard metal ring 7 the drum body is recessed to form smaller diameterportions. In this region t-wo flanged rings 8 are fitted, the oilsurfaces of which are provided withfins 9. The surfaces 9a and 9b of thefins are of a shape which corresponds to the peripheral parts of thecigarettes and the distance R (see FIG. 1) representing the length ofthe rolling movement is preferably not less than and is approximatelyequal to the length of the connector sheet B. A stationary rollingsurface It} is provided coaxia-lly to the periphery of the connectordrum 2 as a counter surface for effecting the rolling operation;

The spacing of the rolling surface 10 from the surface 6 of the conectordrum 2 is adjustable in order to allow for adjustment of the effectiverolling pressure and ad justment according to the size of the cigarette.

Suction ducts 11 and 12 are provided in the region of the surfaces 9aand 9b which retain the cigarettes in the two end positions. These ductsare arranged obliquely as shown in FIG. 1 and are directed approximatelyto the mid-point of the group. Also suction ducts 13 are provided forretaining the connector sheet during cutting and rolling, these ductsbeing arranged in the region of the support surface for the connectorsheets. In the embodiment shown it is not necessary to provide specialcounter cutter surfaces since the whole jacket 6 consists of hard metal.The suction for the ducts 11 and 12 is supplied through the suctionchamber 14 and suction ducts -15, 16 and 17 and the suction for theducts 13 through the suction chamber 18 and ducts 19, 24], 21. Thechambers IM- and 18 are of arcuate form to apply suction over desiredperipheral Zones of the connector drum 2 in well known manner.

For rolling the connector sheet B about the butting points betweenfilters and cigarettes strip material V is drawn in known manner from areel not shown, gummed on the face opposite to the cutter drum 2, fed tothe cutter drum 2 and retained thereon by suction. The cutters of thecutter drum 4 cut connector sheet pieces B from the strip V which arespaced from the leading end of the incoming strip. After cutting aconnector sheet B lies between two fins 9 as shown in projection in FIG.'1.

The device shown operates as follows: Between pairs of alignedcigarettes delivered from a cigarette magazine or directly from acigarette rod machine there is inserted a filter plug of twice the finallength in known manner. The group G so formed is assembled on theassembly drum 1 for example by means of guide blades and deposited onthe end of the connector sheet 13 lying on the connector drum 2. Thefilter plug lying between the cigarettes retains its position on the onehand 'I-- adhesion to the gummed connector sheets and on the other handby the pressure of the ends of the cigarettes. The group G lying in thisform in engagement with the trailing surface 9a of the fin 9 is fed intothe region of the counter rolling surface 10 during the further rotationof the connector drum 2. On contact therewith the group G is moved awayfrom the surface 9a and the connector sheet B is wound around the groupby the specific rotation thereof to the extent of rather more than onecomplete revolution, although more than one revolution can be providedfor if desired. The length of the rolling path provided by the countersurface 10 corresponds precisely or at least with the length of the pathR which the groups can execute between two fins. For this reason thegroup is brought into engagement with the leading surface 911 of thenext following fin 9 after traversing the rolling point. At this point,i.e. against the surface 9b it is retained'by the suction deliveredthrough the suction duct 12 until delivery to the cutting drum 3. Theholding of the groups against the surfaces 9a and 9b can also beeffected by other suitable l. A device for attaching connector sheetsaround the butting" ends of aligned pairs of cigarettes and mouthpieceattachments interposed between said pairs, said connector sheets beingwider than said attachments and of a sufiicient length to completelyenwrap the attachments and to unite them with the cigarettes on eachside, a rotary conveyor drum having a smooth central portion to receivesuccessive adhesive connector sheets, uniformly spaced projections onsaid conveyor drum on each side of said central portion, said conveyordrum receiving the cigarettes and attachments with the attachments andthe end parts of the two cigarettes overlying the connector sheets andwith the two cigarettes in engagement with the projections, a stationarycounter surface adjacent the conveyor drum to cause the cigaret-tes andattachments to roll relatively to the conveyor drum and thereby to rollthe connector sheets around the attachments to unite them with thecigarettes, the mutual spacing of said projections being such as toallow the cigarettes to roll to an extent which completely enwraps theconnector around the butting ends, and feeder means adapted to feedaligned groups consisting of cigarettes with interposed mouthpiecesagainst the trailing faces of the projections on the conveyor drum, themouthpieces being held byendwise pressurethereon by the cigarettes andby the connector sheets previously placed on the central portion of theconveyor" drum, each group being rolled by the counter surface until thecigarettes are engaged'by the leading edges of the respective followingprojections, and the projections being provided with suction ports oneach flank'face to retain the groups in either terminal position, andmeans to remove the assembled aligned groups after being enwrapped bythe connector sheets. i

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising suction ducts inthe central smooth peripheral, portion of the conveyor drum, andseparate suction control and feeder means for controlling the admissionof suction to the ports in the projections and the ports in the smoothcentral portion of the conveyor drum.

3. A device for attaching connector sheets around the butting ends ofaligned pairs of cigarettes and mouthpiece attachments interposedbetween said pairs, said connector sheets being wider than saidattachments and of a sufficient length to completely enwrap theattachments and to unite them with the cigarettes on each side, a rotaryconveyor drum having a smooth central portion to receive successiveadhesive connector sheets, uniformly spaced and fixed axially extendingprojections on the circumference of said conveyor drum on each side ofsaid smooth central portion of the same, said conveyor drum receivingthe cigarettes and attachments'with the attachments and the end parts ofthe two cigarettes overlying the connector sheets and with the twocigarettes in engagement with the trailing faces of the projections, astationary counter surface adjacent the conveyor drum to cause thecigarettes and attachments to roll relatively to theconveyor drum andthereby to roll the connector sheets around the attachments to unitethem with the cigarettes, the mutual spacing of said projections beingsuch as to allow the cigarettes to roll to an extent which completelyenwraps the connector sheet around the butting ends, feeder meansadapted to feed aligned groups 9li$tifig of cigarettes with interposedmouthpieces against the trailing faces of the projections on the con-References Cited in the file of this patent j veyor drum, themouthpieces being held by the con- UNITED STATES PATENTS neetor sheetspreviously placed on the smooth central A portion of the conveyor drum,each group being rolled by 211621424 Edward!) 111116 9 the countersurface until the cigarettes are engaged by 5 2,649,761 Edwards g- 9 3the leading faces of the next following projections, said 2,785,472 'SMall 26, 9 projections having cigarette holding means thereon for2309539 Edwards 00L 7 retaining the groups in engagement with saidleading 21864379 Korbel' 1953 faces of the next following projections,and means to remove the assembled aligned groups from said conveyor 10FOREIFHTI PATENTS drum after being enwrapped by the connector sheets.392,266 Great Brltaln y 1933

